Paper clamp



Dec. 29, 1931. H. R. KITTS ET -AL PAP ER CLAMP Filed Feb. 10, 1951Patented Dec. 29, 1931 NI ED-STATES PATE T OFFICE HARRY R. KITTS ANDCHARLES K. BONG, OF GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN W rerun cLAMP application nFebruary 10, 1931. Serial no. 514,851.

This invention relates to improvements in clamping devices, and pertainsparticularly to aclamp designed for securing papers together. T I

The primary object of the presentiinvention is to provide a simple butstrong and durable clamp which maybe easily and quickly roughly adjustedto the'proper size for holding a body such, for example,"as' a 0 numberof paper sheets or the like, and" which may then be drawn to a finaltight grip upon the body by a novel securing means which also actsto'retain the clamp in gripping condition. l f Another object of theinvention is to provide a clamp which will fa s efliciently grip andhold one or two sheets of paper as a stack of substantial'thickness. I T'f The invention broadly contemplates the provision of a pairofrelatively long me bers crossed and pivotally connected intermediatetheir ends, one of the members being formed to provide an arcuatetoothedsurface concentric with the pivotal connection between the members,which'toothed surface is engaged bya dog pivotally mounted upon'theadjacent other member. .-The pivotal mounting for this dogis in theformof an eccentric with which a latch'isconnected so that by depressingthelatch the dog will be forced forwardly and will impart a slight"oscillatory movement'to' the member with which it engages; at its freeend. Each of the members is providedlwith 5 a laterally extended fingerat its free end and the fingers of one, member are disposed in opposedrelation to the fingers of the other member so that when the members areoscillated in one direction these fingers come together to grip a}sheet"or otherbody, or a number, of sheets,"therebetween."

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of theffollowing detailed description taken in connection with 5 theaccompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with theunderstanding, however, that thein'vention is not confined to any strictconformity with the showing 7 ofthe drawings but may be changed or modified' so long as such changes or modifications portion of a modifiedform of the clamp mark no material departure'from the salient featuresof the invention as expressed in the appended claims. 1

In the drawings:

F igurel is a view in side elevation of the clamp embodying the'presentinvention."

F1gure 2 is a view in top plan of the same,

a portion thereof being in section.

FigureS is a view inside elevation of a structure. V i

Figure 4: is a sectional view taken on the line 4-31: of Figure 3. 1

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals ofreference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views,Figure 1 illustrates the pre ferred form of'the present invention.

The invention, as illustrated in this figure,

consists of two relatively long fiat arms lndicated by the numerals 1and2, which are disposed in crossed relation with their flat faces incontact. These members are crossed at points substantially midwaybetween their ends and a pivot'pin or rivet 3 connects themtogethersothatthey may be oscillated on this pin to movethe ends of themembersrelative to one another. Each of the members has at each end alaterally extending grippingfifihger or aw 4; each ofthese aws belng ofarouate cross-section, as shown, and the convex faces of the jawsof onemember are in opposed relation to the convex surfaces of the jaws of theother member so that upon oscillating the members in the proper mannerthese opposed jaws mayhavetheir convex.

surfaces brought into contacting relation. By providing jaws of thiscross-sectional design it will be seen that an amplecontjact surface isprovided for engaging a bodydisposed between the jaws, no matter whetherthe body isthickor thin; g One of the members as, for example thememberrl is enlarged arcuately at one edge and concentric-withfth'epivot pin 3, as indicated at5. "This arcuate edge of the member 1 isformed to'provide a series of teeth 6.

,The other arm or member 2 -haspivotally mounted therein from theouterface thereof, one end of a stud? which has formed integraltherewith an eccentric cam 8, one face of which is in contact with thearm or member 2 and prevents looseness or movement of the a stud 7 inthe aperture in the arm 2.

The cam 8 engages in an aperture in one end of a pawl 9, the other endof which engages the arcuate toothed edge portion of the adjacent arm 1.

Secured to the stud at the outer end thereof is a lever 10 which, whenthe clamp jaws 4 are separated to their fullest extent, extendssubstantially parallel with the arm 1. A suitable spacing washer 11 maybe located be tween the lever and the eccentric cam portion 8 of thestud so as to provide the necessary clearance between the pawl andlever.

With the foregoing description, taken in association with theaccompanying drawings, it will be readily seen that in applying theclamp one side of one or a number of sheets or other articles is firstlocated between the jaws 4 and the jaws may then be brought together toengage opposite faces of the article or articles therebetween byoscillating the arms 1 by means of the hand or fingers. After the jawshave in this manner been made to more or less firmly grip the articlestherebetween a firm grip of the clamp upon the articles may be obtainedby depressing the lever 10, which operation will shift the pawl 9longitudinally and thus, through the engagement of its free end with theteeth 6, force the jaws into a firmer engagement with the bodiestherebetween. This cam actuated pawl also serves to locate the aws ingripping relation. In order to release the articles held between thejaws 4 it will be readily seen that the lever 10 is first swung upwardlyor in the reverse direction after which the engagement of the pawl 9with the teeth 6 will be sufficiently loose to permit of its beingdisengaged by the fingers.

In Figure 3 there is shown a slightly modified form of the structureabove described. In this form of the invention the rotatable stud 12 hasthe eccentric 13 formed upon the outer end thereof and there is formedin this outer end a socket 14 in which may be engaged thecorrespondingly formed end 15 of a key 16. This key 16 takes the placeof the lever member shown in the form first described, and by its use itwill be seen that the rotation of the stud 12 and the eccentric cam 13may be effected to shift the pawl 17 which is carried at oneend upon thecam. This pawl, at

its free end, engages the toothed. arcuate portion 18 of one of a pairof arms 19, the same as does the pawl 9.

From the foregoing description it will be readily appreciated that witha clamp of the character herein described one or a number of papers orother fiat articles may be easily, quickly and firmly gripped and heldtogether, and the clamp may be readily released for the 1 insertion orremoval of sheets.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A clamp of the character described, comprising a pair of elongatedmembers, a pivotal connection between said members remote from one endthereof, a jaw carried by each member, said jaws being designed to bebrought into abutting relation, pawl and ratchet means adapted to shiftsaid members and aws relative to one another and secure them in a setrelation, and cam means for actuating the pawl and maintaining it inshifted position.

2. A clamp of the character described, comprising a pair of elongatedmembers, a pivotal connecting means between said members, a carried by'each member and adapted to be moved into engagement with the other jaw,an arcuately arranged series of teeth carried by onemember concentricwith the pivotal connection, a pawl carried by the other member andhaving engagement with said teeth, and cam means for shifting said pawlto effect movement of the member engaged by the free end thereof.

3. A clamp of the character described, comprising a pair of elongatedmembers, a pivotal connecting means between said members, a jaw carriedby each member and adapted to be moved into engagement with the otherjaw, an arcuately arranged series of teeth carried by one memberconcentric with the pivotal connection, an eccentric cam carried by theother member, a pawl having an aperture receiving said cam and havingone end engaging said teeth, and means for rotating said cam to effectmovement of the pawl and the member engaged by the free end thereof.

4. A clamp of the character described, comprising a pair of elongatedmembers, means for pivotally connecting the members together so that thefree ends thereof may be moved relative to one another, a jaw carried atthe free end of each member and projectin-g laterally therefrom, saidjaws being of arcuate cross section and arranged to have the convexfaces of those of one member brought into contact with the convex facesof those of the other member, and latching means for securing saidmembers against relative movement after oscillating the same to brlngthe aws against opposite faces of a body disposed therebetween.

5. A .clamp, comprising a pair of elongated members crossed intermediatetheir onds, a pivot pin connecting said members, a laterally extendingjaw at each end of each member, the jaws of one member being arrangedtobe brought into contact with the jaws of the other member, an arcuateseries of teeth. formed upon one member concentric with said pivot, astud plvotally carried by the other member, an eccentrlc cam carried bysaid stud, a pawl having one end engaging said teeth and having anaperture therein receiving said cam, and means for oscillating said camto actuate the pawl relative to the teeth engaged thereby. i

6. A clamp, comprising a pair of elongated members crossed intermediatetheir ends, a pivot pin connecting said members, a laterally extendingjaw at each end of each member, the jaws of one member being arranged tobe brought into contact with the jaws of the other member, an arcuateseries of teeth formed upon one member concentric with said pivot, astud pivotally carried by the other member, an eccentric cam carried bysaid stud, a pawl having one end engaging said teeth and having anaperture therein receiving said cam, and a lever connected with said camto efiect oscillation thereof.

7. A clamp, comprising apair of elongated members crossed intermediatetheir ends, a pivot pin connecting said members, a laterally extendingjaw at each end of each'member, the jaws of one member being arranged tobe brought into contact with-the jaws of the other member, an arcuateseries 2570f teeth formed upon one member concentric with said pivot, astud pivotally carried by the other member. an eccentric cam carried bysaid stud, a pawl havingone'endengagingsaid teeth and having an aperturetherein receiv- I ing said cam, a key, and means for coupling the keywith the outer end of the stud.

8. A clamp of the character described, comprising a pair of elongatedmembers, a pivotal connecting means between said mem- 5 bers, a jawcarried by each member and adapted to be moved into engagement with theother jaw, an arcuately arranged series of teeth carried by one memberand concentric with the pivotal connection, a pawl piv- 40 otallymounted on the other member and further mounted for longitudinalmovement thereon, and means for shifting the pawl longltudmally of itssupporting member against said teeth to effect movement of the othermember.

9 A pivot clamp of the character described, comprising a pair ofelongated'flat members arranged in crossed relation, pivotal connectingmeans between the members, a

series of teeth formed along an edge of one member on an arc concentricwith the pivot therefor, an elongated pawl pivotally mounted upon theother of said members against the outer face thereof and having aninturned forward end in engagement with said teeth,

said pivotal support for the pawl constituting a cam wherebylongitudinal movement of the pawl may be obtained, a stud formedintegral with said cam, and a lever mounted upon said stud for effectingrotation of the cam.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures. V

HARRY R. KITTS. CHARLES K. BONG.

